Streams, just like lakes, are important water resources. But like any natural system, they present particular challenges when the surrounding watershed is altered.
Stream WaterWatch is a volunteer-based program implemented through Hillsborough Community College and funded by Hillsborough County and Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). Volunteers are trained in the field to take water quality samples, measure field parameters, and collect, sort, and identify macroinvertebrates (bugs and other spineless creatures). Stream WaterWatch volunteer groups typically adopt a 1.5 mile stream segment and conduct a variety of activities, such as:
- Attending a minimum of four stream training classes in the first year
- Taking monthly samples from three sites on the stream
- Measuring field parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and temperature)
- Conducting quarterly habitat, macroinvertebrate, and stream surveys